ThinkFreight

In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I sit down with Jason Mansur, CEO of Yellow Diamond Logistics, to trace his journey through the logistics industry. Starting from his early days at FedEx and later at Logistics Planning Services (LPS), Jason shares how these foundational experiences shaped his leadership philosophy and strategic thinking. 

We discuss his move to Evans Transportation as President and COO, where he helped drive growth from $65M to $400M by introducing new service lines and expanding operations into multiple locations.

Jason offers insights into his current roles on various boards, leveraging these experiences to guide his CEO decisions at Yellow Diamond Logistics. He also talks about launching Navix—a freight audit and invoicing automation tool—explaining how machine learning and AI help reduce errors, shorten DSO, and free teams to focus on growth.

As the CEO of Yellow Diamond Logistics, Jason outlines his goals for scaling the company, improving operational consistency, and diversifying the customer base.

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📍Massive thanks to our sponsor:

⚫️ Salesdash CRM is built specifically for freight brokers & 3PLs. Organize your sales outreach, notes, follow-ups, and lane profiles for your shippers and carriers. All for an affordable price. Try Salesdash free for 14 days with no credit card required.
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🌎 Find Jason Mansur & Yellow Diamond online:

Jason's LinkedIn

Yellow Diamond's Website
Yellow Diamond's LinkedIn
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In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I chat with Tristan Bordallo, founder of IAmFr8, about his journey from freight broker agent to trucking company founder. Tristan shares how he got started, why he ventured out on his own, and how investing in assets like trucks has shaped his business model. 

He emphasizes creating a positive, “go with the flow” culture and explains why he’s chosen to build his company in public for greater transparency. We discuss the challenges he’s faced, how he’s tackled them, and his vision for IAmFr8 moving forward.

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📍Massive thanks to our sponsor:

⚫️ Salesdash CRM is built specifically for freight brokers & 3PLs. Organize your sales outreach, notes, follow-ups, and lane profiles for your shippers and carriers. All for an affordable price. Try Salesdash free for 14 days with no credit card required.
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🌎 Find Tristan & IAmFr8 online:

LinkedIn

IAmFr8 LinkedIn

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In this episode of ThinkFreight, we sit down with Cale Pearson, President of B2B Transportation Services, a company that has been a staple in the freight industry for over two decades. 

Cale shares his journey from his early days in freight to leading B2B, offering insight into how the company has thrived with its unique W2 and agent-based model.

Cale also discusses the current challenges facing freight brokers, from market fluctuations to pricing pressures, and how B2B has adapted with strategic growth initiatives.

He offers valuable advice on how brokers can thrive in tough market conditions, the importance of building meaningful relationships with shippers and carriers, and the growing role of digital content, especially on platforms like YouTube, in shaping the future of freight brokerage.

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📍Massive thanks to our sponsor:

⚫️ Salesdash CRM is built specifically for freight brokers & 3PLs. Organize your sales outreach, notes, follow-ups, and lane profiles for your shippers and carriers. All for an affordable price. Try Salesdash free for 14 days with no credit card required.
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🌎 Find Cale Pearson & B2B Transportation online:

Cale Pearson - LinkedIn

B2B Transportation - Website

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In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I sit down with Oliver Jones, Founder of Manifold Freight, to discuss his journey from the pioneering digital brokerage Convoy to launching his own company focused on spot freight solutions. 

Oliver shares his background in logistics and technology, detailing how his 6.5 years at Convoy shaped his approach to building Manifold Freight. 

During his time at Convoy, he played a crucial role in its operations and experienced firsthand the highs of working in a well-supported startup, as well as the challenges of winding down operations.

Oliver talks about the inspiration behind Manifold Freight and explains its unique focus on the spot freight market.

He discusses why he chose to specialize in spot freight, how Manifold supports shippers through market volatility, and the key analytics tools available on the platform, like win-rate tracking and team metrics, to help companies navigate this competitive space.

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📍Massive thanks to our sponsor:

⚫️ Vendorflow assists dispatch teams and drivers in overcoming typical communication challenges and enhances safety by reducing distractions, including preventing message delivery while drivers are in transit. Check out Vendorflow today!

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🌎 Find Oliver Jones and Manifold online:

Oliver Jones - LinkedIn

Manifold Freight - Website

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In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I sit down with Jake Guso, Co-Founder and CEO of Rig Hut, to explore the critical issue of truck parking and how his company is working to solve it. Truck parking is a growing concern in the industry, and Rig Hut is stepping in to address this challenge by providing innovative solutions for outdoor storage and transportation.

We kick things off by learning about Jake’s background in real estate and how his journey led him to get involved in the truck parking industry. Jake shares Rig Hut’s core mission, focusing on optimizing truck parking spaces and outdoor storage. 

Jake walks us through the current state of Rig Hut, including the number of locations they manage and the total truck parking spaces available. We discuss the biggest challenges Rig Hut faces when securing and optimizing spaces, and how they determine which regions to prioritize for expansion based on demand.

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🌎 Find Jake Guso & Rig Hut online:

Jake Guso - LinkedIn

Rig Hut - Website

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In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I sit down with Carlos Otero-Palencia and Gino Carnevale from efRouting to discuss how their platform is transforming the way owner-operators and small carriers optimize their routes and improve profitability.

Carlos and Gino kick off by sharing their backgrounds and giving us an overview of efRouting, a service designed to provide actionable insights to carriers, enabling them to earn more per mile and improve their quality of life through smarter route planning.

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🌎 Find Carlos, Gino and efRouting:

Carlos Otero-Palencia - LinkedIn

Gino Carnevale- LinkedIn

efRouting - Website

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In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I sit down with James Brewer, Co-Founder of ImportYeti, to explore his journey from working in traditional freight roles to becoming a tech entrepreneur. 

James takes us back to his early career, starting as a college senior tasked with moving a full truckload of books, and how this experience set him on a path through brokerage and asset-based logistics with a focus on intermodal freight. 

James shares the story behind ImportYeti, a platform that leverages customs data to help businesses identify the best suppliers for their products. He recalls how he was one of the platform’s earliest users while working at Challenger, using it to prospect leads, and how he connected with the original developer, Dave, to get more involved with the project.

We dive into how freight brokers and drayage providers can use ImportYeti's data to grow their customer base, including which specific data points to focus on for prospecting. 

James also explains how ImportYeti helps businesses tackle logistics challenges like reliability and cost optimization, offering insights into how the platform’s data can be used to predict trends and make strategic decisions.

We also look ahead to the future of ImportYeti, discussing potential new features and expansions in the pipeline, including a cross-border dataset focused on Mexico.

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📍Massive thanks to our sponsor:

⚫️ Salesdash CRM is built specifically for freight brokers & 3PLs. Organize your sales outreach, notes, follow-ups, and lane profiles for your shippers and carriers. All for an affordable price. Try Salesdash free for 14 days with no credit card required.

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🌎 Find James Brewer and ImportYeti

James Brewer - LinkedIn

ImportYeti - Website

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In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I catch up with Matthew Chapa, Logistics Manager at Crunchyroll, as he returns for his second appearance on the show. 

We start with some personal updates, discussing life in Texas, Matthew’s recent move from Austin to Dallas, and how he’s been adjusting to the new city during this hot summer.

The conversation then shifts to Matthew's new role at Crunchyroll. He shares insights into his transition to the company and what it’s been like managing logistics for an anime-focused business.

For those unfamiliar, Matthew provides an overview of Crunchyroll’s operations and the critical role logistics plays in supporting the company, explaining the unique logistics needs of an anime brand.

We also dive into the world of freight broker outreach, where Matthew discusses the volume of sales calls and emails he receives, the effectiveness of these outreach efforts, and what impresses him when brokers try to get his attention.

We wrap up with a fun twist, as Matthew shares his idea for a logistics-themed anime, adding a creative spin to the world of freight.

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📍Massive thanks to our sponsor:

⚫️ Salesdash CRM is built specifically for freight brokers & 3PLs. Organize your sales outreach, notes, follow-ups, and lane profiles for your shippers and carriers. All for an affordable price. Try Salesdash free for 14 days with no credit card required.

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🌎 Find Matthew Chapa & Crunchyroll online:

Matthew Chapa - LinkedIn

Crunchyroll - Website

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In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I reconnect with Eric Rodriguez, Co-Founder and CEO of Vendorflow, to catch up on the latest developments and dive deeper into how Vendorflow is transforming communication in logistics.

We explore how Vendorflow goes beyond being just a texting solution for drivers, offering a comprehensive communication platform that integrates with various tools like ELDs, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, and even TMS systems. 

Eric explains how Vendorflow helps dispatch teams and drivers overcome common communication hurdles and improves safety by minimizing distractions, such as preventing message delivery while a driver is on the move.

The conversation also covers some unique approaches used by dispatch teams for managing driver communication and how Vendorflow’s integration with ELD systems helps reduce texting-and-driving risks.

Eric shares takeaways from the recent Samsara conference, where he gained valuable insights into ELD integration and new trends in communication workflows.

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📍Massive thanks to our sponsor:

⚫️ Vendorflow assists dispatch teams and drivers in overcoming typical communication challenges and enhances safety by reducing distractions, including preventing message delivery while drivers are in transit. Check out Vendorflow today!

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🌎 Find Eric Rodriguez and Vendorflow online:

Eric Rodriguez - LinkedIn

Vendorflow - Website

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🔗 Our Social Links:

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In this episode of the ThinkFreight Podcast, I sit down with Jesse Taylor, Partner Marketing Manager at Parade, the leading capacity management platform for freight brokerages. 

Jesse shares his career journey, explaining what led him to rejoin Parade and what excites him most about his role in partner marketing. We explore Parade’s unique approach to solving key challenges in the freight space and how it stands out in a crowded freight tech market. 

Jesse introduces the concept of “working the carrier, not the load” and explains why focusing on building carrier relationships is crucial for brokers.

We also discuss the importance of preparing for inevitable market shifts. Jesse offers insights on what brokers should be doing now to prepare for tighter markets and shares his thoughts on the challenges some brokers face, especially those who have never experienced a tight market due to turnover.

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📍Massive thanks to our sponsor:

⚫️ Salesdash CRM is built specifically for freight brokers & 3PLs. Organize your sales outreach, notes, follow-ups, and lane profiles for your shippers and carriers. All for an affordable price. Try Salesdash free for 14 days with no credit card required.

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🌎 Find Jesse Taylor & Parade online:

Jesse Taylor - LinkedIn

Parade - Website


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